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Teenagers Attack San Diego Mosque, Kill Three People

A joint police‑FBI hate‑crime probe says the attack underscores the danger of online neo‑Nazi radicalization to houses of worship.

Jibril Abdullah, Mohammed Abdullah and Khalid Abdullah, sons of security guard Amin Abdullah, who was killed in a shooting incident, sit outside their home in San Diego, California, U.S., May 20, 2026. REUTERS/Arafat Barbakh
FILE - An armed policeman patrols the grounds at the Al Noor mosque following the previous week's mass shooting in Christchurch, New Zealand, on March 23, 2019. (AP Photo/Mark Baker, File)
Abdul El-Sayed, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate from Michigan, speaks at a news conference hosted by the Imams Council of Michigan at the Dawah Institute mosque Wednesday, May 20, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Mike Householder)
Two people pray during a vigil, the day after a shooting, outside of the Islamic Center of San Diego, Tuesday, May 19, 2026, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Overview

  • Two teenagers opened fire at the Islamic Center of San Diego Monday, killing security guard Amin Abdullah and two worshippers before the shooters were found dead of apparent self‑inflicted gunshot wounds.
  • Abdullah exchanged fire with the attackers and activated a radio lockdown that officials say helped protect about 140 children in the mosque school.
  • Investigators recovered a 74‑page manifesto and Nazi insignia that referenced past far‑right attackers and used accelerationist language, signaling links to neo‑Nazi networks and intense antisemitic rhetoric.
  • San Diego police and the FBI have identified the shooters as Cain Lee Clark, 17, and Caleb Liam Vazquez, 18, and are investigating the incident as a hate crime while evidence collection continues.
  • The attack has prompted funerals, national condemnation, CAIR‑led security coordination for mosques, renewed scrutiny of the Islamic Center's past controversies, and broader debate about online radicalization and protection for houses of worship.